Questions And Answers

Static shocks are rebooting computers at 17 - 20 feet away during the winter months (seems like when heat is on). Have you heard of this? (I need data 'proof' that this can cause damage at distances) What product solutions do you have? - Anonymous, Fort Polk, LA

Answer

It sounds like you have several things that could contribute to your problem: severe triboelectric generation from mobile people - solution: implement ESD/Antistatic floor and ESD foot wear. Conductive surfaces allowing quick and high energy discharges - solution: implement grounded static dissipative mats & coatings on very conductive surfaces. A very dry environment, further increasing the risks of ESD - solution: implement humidity control or air ionization at critical areas. Product solutions: Employee a static dissipative and more importantly antistatic floor finish or covering all affected areas. We would recommend floor finish as it has excellent antistatic properties. Combine this with ESD foot wear such as a foot grounder. These two products combined will greatly reduce the triboelectric charging that may be one of the larger factors in generation of static shocks. Apply Reztore® Topical Antistat to all surfaces that are not dissipative. Replace all conductive surfaces (<1x10^4 Ohms) with dissipative ones or cover the conductive surfaces with dissipative materials. Make sure all these conductive (dissipative) surfaces are grounded as well as the operators (foot grounders, wrist straps, etc.). By replacing the very conductive surfaces with a higher resistant material, you minimize the energy transferred during an ESD and reduce or eliminate a problem EMI.